Getty The Detroit Lions had mixed reviews for their draft, but one of their picks is being called the next franchise star.
The Detroit Lions have quite a few stars in their lineup, from quarterback Jared Goff to edge Aidan Hutchinson. But, it’s all about the rookies this time of year, and it’s exciting to see the Detroit Lions’ new class and what these guys have to offer.
The NFL season will officially kick off on September 4 with the Philadelphia Eagles taking on the Dallas Cowboys on Sept. 4. So, the season is just a few months away.
Now, NFL draft analyst and expert Rob Rang of Fox Sports is naming the top NFL rookies heading into the 2025 season, and one of them is a Detroit Lions rising star.
Top Rookies in the NFL
In the piece, published Thursday, June 29, Rang talks about the dynamics of having a new player in the fold. “Over the past quarter-century of evaluating college prospects for the NFL, I have learned one fundamental truth: there is no such thing as a sure thing,” he says.
He adds, “Sometimes, players with all the preferred traits struggle. And sometimes, those lacking tools surprise and become very effective pros. No one really knows who is going to be the best player from a given class until they actually prove it during NFL games.”
So, he looked at all 32 teams in the NFL to determine the best rookie in each team’s class. For the Lions, he names guard Tate Ratledge as a rising star, and at the same time, he pumps up the Lions’ offensive line.
“The Lions boast one of the NFL’s better offensive lines, but going back to the last century, their play at tackle and center has been better than at guard,” Rang said. “Glover played 12 of his 15 NFL seasons at center and each of his three Pro Bowl nods came at the pivot, but he started 26 games over the 1986–88 seasons at guard.”
Of Ratledge, Rang says he’s “a potentially dominant blocker who, with greater durability, also has the look of a long-time pillar up front.”
A Player We Can’t Wait to See
Looking at non-rookies, Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report has a story out on Friday, June 20, naming some of the guys the NFL is excited to see coming back from history. “While players on the mend might not draw quite as much offseason buzz as marquee free-agent signings or top draft choices, they can have a major impact on a team’s trajectory,” he notes in the piece. “In the case of some stars, they’ll make games much more enjoyable to watch, too.”
For the Lions, it’s Hutchinson. “Lions fans will love to see their best defensive player back on the field,” Knox stated in the piece. “His return could be even more important, though, as Detroit will be adjusting to the loss of defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn.”
Knox added, “Glenn has been replaced by former linebackers coach Kelvin Sheppard. While he should maintain some level of continuity on defense, having one of the league’s top sack artists back will be a major boon.”
He adds that Hutchinson was fully cleared in May and “should be good to go when Lions veterans report on July 19.”
